KUALA LUMPUR: After missing out on an Olympic ticket, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai's next target is to qualify for the season-ending World Tour Finals.
The independent mixed doubles duo edged closer to that dream when they clinched the Malaysia Masters title at the Axiata Arena today.
Soon Huat-Shevon, finalists back in 2017, upset Indonesia's world No. 15 Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-18, 21-19, becoming the first local shuttlers, since Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, to win the Malaysia Masters.
"It has always been a dream to win the home event, because every time we see players from other countries winning. Finally, we managed to end that wait," said Soon Huat, who married Shevon earlier this month.
Shevon echoed her partner's sentiments, saying: "I agree with Soon Huat, it was always a dream to stand in front of our home fans and family when we bring back the gold.
"However, we didn't expect to win, as we had to overcome a few challenges in the beginning, like our tough draw.
"After losing at the Thailand Open last week, we prepared ourselves well, made sure we controlled our emotions and stayed patient. I must thank my partner for putting me in good condition on court."
Gutted to miss out on the Paris Olympics, Soon Huat said qualifying for the World Tour Finals in December has become the next big target for him and Shevon.
"The World Tour Finals is what we have left to qualify for (after missing out on the Olympics), so it's definitely our target."
Currently, Soon Huat-Shevon are ranked No. 6 on the Race to Finals ranking. Only the top eight players and pairs will qualify for the BWF flagship event.
Meanwhile, Shevon disclosed that the dynamics have changed since she got married. And without the support of any medical staff, Soon Huat-Shevon only have themselves to rely on.
"When we won the Swiss Open in March, we still had the support of the RTG (Road to Gold) programme. However, after we were dropped, we don't have any NSI (National Sports Institute) support.
"But like Soon Huat said, we are now married, there is no more U-turn, as we are stuck together.
"We have to see how we can move forward together because this is our livelihood.
"Thankfully, we have some good friends who have helped us, but we need to secure something more stable after this," said Shevon.
Soon Huat-Shevon, who were dropped from the national team in 2021, will next compete in the Singapore Open and the Indonesia Open.
